Children's knitting group turfed from library under new craft ban

A six-year-old girl says she is disappointed after her knitting group was asked to leave an eastern Ontario library due to a new ban on arts and crafts.

"I really had fun in there in the library, and I'm really sad that they stopped that," said Kingston Currie, who used to spend two hours a week with the Itch and Stitch Club at the Long Sault Library in Long Sault, Ont., about 95 kilometres southeast of Ottawa.

Pamela Haley, manager of library services for the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, said the ban on crafts was put on place because the municipality is revamping its 18 library branches in an effort to attract more people and needs to be more literacy-focused to achieve that end.

She said the library's new fall lineup includes teen book clubs and Scrabble nights. The library will also be holding some events not focused on literacy, such as video game nights, to attract a younger crowd.

But under the new plan, there will no longer be a space for Kingston Currie and the other girls, aged six to 10, who used to sit around a table teasing yarn into organized patterns and items with crochet hooks and pairs of needles.

Currie's mother, Maryann Currie, said the sight used to make her want to make them a pot of tea and bring them some biscuits.

"Like, it was so cute, and they were quiet," she said. "They weren't disruptive, so I don't understand what the reasoning is behind it."

Kingston said she wants to do something about knitting group's ejection.

"I think it wasn't really nice, and I think I want to stand up [for] what I believe in."

Haley suggested one way the group could reclaim their old spot.

"If they want to knit in the library, why not formulate a book club and knit as you discuss a book?" she suggested. "Relate it that way and sort of think outside the box."